Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuba and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuba: $1,287 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Cuba
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Cuba Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

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🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,287

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuba and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cuba and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Cuba versus $2,701 in the United States.

Cuba $1,287
United States $2,701

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,741 in Cuba versus $3,980 in the United States.

Cuba $1,741
United States $3,980

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,195 in Cuba versus $5,258 in the United States.

Cuba $2,195
United States $5,258

Living in Cuba costs about 52% less than in the United States on average.

Cuba (5% below) and the United States (100% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.86 CUP 141

$19.92 $19.92

-70.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.98 CUP 600

$81.0 $81.0

-69.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.32 CUP 152

$12.07 $12.07

-47.64%

Cappuccino

$1.64 CUP 39.48

$5.55 $5.55

-70.45%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 CUP 44.04

$2.67 $2.67

-31.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 CUP 26.59

$2.09 $2.09

-46.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 CUP 49.25

$5.96 $5.96

-65.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 CUP 60.2

$7.76 $7.76

-67.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.66 CUP 63.8

$1.05 $1.05

153.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 CUP 28.58

$3.55 $3.55

-66.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 CUP 46.59

$4.64 $4.64

-58.19%

Eggs

$3.31 CUP 79.5

$4.18 $4.18

-20.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.02 CUP 144

$12.76 $12.76

-52.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 CUP 122

$12.63 $12.63

-59.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.42 CUP 274

$17.22 $17.22

-33.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.29 CUP 103

$5.15 $5.15

-16.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 CUP 27.26

$1.64 $1.64

-30.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 CUP 43.46

$4.46 $4.46

-59.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 CUP 46.12

$4.98 $4.98

-61.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CUP 45.59

$2.84 $2.84

-33.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 CUP 61.3

$3.09 $3.09

-17.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 CUP 21.14

$2.19 $2.19

-59.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 CUP 22.37

$2.27 $2.27

-59.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 CUP 79.4

$10.61 $10.61

-68.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.87 CUP 237

$14.71 $14.71

-32.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 CUP 43.34

$2.10 $2.10

-13.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 CUP 51.4

$3.82 $3.82

-43.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 CUP 4.39

$2.35 $2.35

-92.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.96 CUP 479

$64.1 $64.1

-68.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 CUP 55.8

$3.57 $3.57

-35.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 CUP 9.27

$1.85 $1.85

-78.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.36 CUP 489

$30.19 $30.19

-32.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 CUP 30.98

$1.07 $1.07

20.56%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$69.2K CUP 1.7M

$35.3K $35.3K

96.20%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$74.0K CUP 1.8M

$25.9K $25.9K

185.68%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$36.99 CUP 888

$217 $217

-82.92%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$34.75 CUP 834

$61.4 $61.4

-43.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$230 CUP 5,528

$74.4 $74.4

209.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.95 CUP 935

$45.08 $45.08

-13.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.06 CUP 313

$23.07 $23.07

-43.39%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.55

$14.79 $14.79

-93.37%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$115 CUP 2,760

$1,480 $1,480

-92.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K CUP 322.5K

$25.5K $25.5K

-47.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.29 CUP 1,039

$53.0 $53.0

-18.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.67 CUP 832

$42.75 $42.75

-18.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 CUP 1,720

$94.3 $94.3

-24.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.7 CUP 1,744

$115 $115

-36.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 CUP 8,063

$1,678 $1,678

-79.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 CUP 11.2K

$1,313 $1,313

-64.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 CUP 21.4K

$2,649 $2,649

-66.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 CUP 14.0K

$2,183 $2,183

-73.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$359 CUP 8,605

$3,374 $3,374

-89.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$334 CUP 8,026

$2,661 $2,661

-87.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$35.65 CUP 856

$4,404 $4,404

-99.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.38

6.55

43.21%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cuba: October 11, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cuba

$465 36.2%

United States

$1.3K 48.6% 182% $848

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuba

$302 23.5%

United States

$352 13% 16.6% $50

Groceries & Markets

Cuba

$241 18.7%

United States

$411 15.2% 70.5% $170

Eating Out

Cuba

$113 8.8%

United States

$327 12.1% 190% $214

Clothing & Footwear

Cuba

$100 7.8%

United States

$137 5.1% 37.4% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Cuba

$41 3.2%

United States

$75 2.8% 82.5% $34

Getting Around

Cuba

$25 1.9%

United States

$86 3.2% 246% $61

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $270 in Cuba, $1,609 in the United States. Capital cities: $246 in Havana vs $2,730 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $37.00 in Cuba, $4,533 in the United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 496% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 226% more in the United States.

Public transport is 80% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 12151% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Cuba

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

Same time as Cuba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,985,974

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Cuban Peso CUP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.7 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇺 Cuban Peso ($)

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 27.02 CUP (100 CUP = 3.7 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to CUP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cuba United States 1,460 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cuba
United States

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cuba vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,287 per month in Cuba and $2,701 in the United States, there's a 110% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Cuba: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 in the United States and $270 in Cuba. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Cuba, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in the United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Cuba wins on affordability; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.